Minter Ellison sacks 35

Minter Ellison has become the latest national law firm to announce redundancies. The firm has sacked 11 lawyers and 24 support staff from its Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices, The Australian Financial Review reports today.

Minter Ellison has become the latest national law firm to announce redundancies. The firm has sacked 11 lawyers and 24 support staff from its Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices, The Australian Financial Review reports today.

The lawyers affected range from senior associates to juniors in the property, construction and finance practice areas. Minter Ellison chief executive John Weber attributes the redundancies to "overcapacity" caused by the softening of the market for legal services.

"We have been straining to do everything we can to keep the number of people affected to a minimum," Weber said in the AFR.

Weber said there were no plans for further redundancies. Minters is just the latest firm to announce redundancies. Thomson Playford Cutlers laid off 25 staff in December, while Blake Dawson cut 89 staff this year. Corrs Chambers Westgarth cut fewer than 50 staff, Deacons has cut about 45, and DLA Phillips Fox has laid off 20, the AFR reports.

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